In the evening of Sunday September 13th, 2026, a significant M5.2 earthquake hit in the Coral Sea 295 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 29 kilometers (18 mi) off the coast of Vanuatu, 295 kilometer north of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 135 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 13, 2026 06:19PM (Efate Time) - Sep 13, 2026 07:19 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 295 km north of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 15°13'10"S 167°26'11"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 16 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.078 . |
| Depth: | 135 km (84 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Vanuatu . Port-Vila in Shefa, Vanuatu is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 295 kilometer (183 mi) north of Port-Vila.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 295 km (183 mi) S from epicenter |
Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 15 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.7
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
15 hrs earlier Sep 13, 2026 02:56AM (Efate Time) | 68 km (42 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Sep 13, 2026 06:19PM (Efate Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 16th, 2026, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 76 km (47 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on March 30th, 2026.
In total, 157 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 23 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 135 km (84 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/09/26 03:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000th4y
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260913_0000099
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
